Gray Piece
by AlphaShell
Summary: The seas have changed, many notable marines and pirates from the previous era have vanished. An aura of mystery lurks throughout the seas. But the sea seems to grow bigger, as a new age emerges. Join our dyslexic pirate captain as he assembles a rather...interesting crew. As they recover from the darkness and trauma of the past, our pirates sail further into a world of the bizarre.
1. Awavekening

Inspired by Lawrencesensei, MastaRasta this will be my One Piece OC story i've been thinking about for a while. These first 3 chapters are a small backround of (our protagonist).

Some of you may vaguely remember this story, and that's because I posted it around 2 years ago! But then I took it down, to do a lot of revising (Please note, I didn't spend these entire 2 YEARS revising, it was an off-and-on kind of thing, ya know. Regardless though, I like to think that it is MUCH better than what it was before). Why did I revise? Well to put it simply, I never knew that I would enjoy writing this much, so I figured that if I'm going to write,_** it has to be better**_.

Yep, this story is the story that helped me discover my passion for writing. As corny as that sounds, it's true. I also like to believe it gets much better deeper into the story.

I like writing so there is going to be A LOT of chapters. So before we get started I'd like to give you some disclaimers/warnings/clarifications.

I don't own One Piece, yadda yadda. That belongs to Oda-sensei. I love his story though, so this story is based off of his.

During the story you will see:

-The overuse of the words 'hell' and 'damn' as well as other similar words. Why? Because I do whatever the hell I want, dammit!

-References to other anime, like Bleach. To help you visualize things better. (Even though I really hate Bleach). I know this makes me look unoriginal, I just want things to be easy to understand.

-The tremendous overuse of drugs and alcohol. (Seriously, I really take it to the next level. )

(Aaaaand I feel like just with these disclaimers I have already lost half of the people who clicked on my story.) T-T

Second Disclaimer( I don't know why I have to make these on a website about fanfics but everyone does it so okay.):

Uhh... I don't own One Piece... or anything for that matter :(

but wait, I do own Gray Piece... welcome to Gray Piece.

* * *

**_One Piece_  
**

**_May Piece_**

**_Two Piece_**

**_Gray Piece_**

**_(This doesn't have any relevance, I just made it to sound cool, sorry)_**

Now let's begin! Again, welcome to Gray Piece!

(B-b-but wait AlphaShell-sama! Why is it called 'Gray Piece'? That sounds boring!)

-All of your questions will be answered soon enough, now shhh! The prologue is coming up!

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

**On an Island in the West Blue**

Dark, ominous clouds grayed the entire sky. Below, an entire village was beginning to flood with sea water with a massive tsunami quickly heading for them. Crowds of both men and women swiftly made their way to the shore, for there were a handful of rescue boats ready to evacuate them. This tsunami was total mystery, it seemed to appear out of nowhere in just a fraction of a second. By no means could this tidal wave be considered natural. This was a day of reckoning for the village, for it's peacefulness was about to be violently swept away by massive wave of water.

"Don't stop running ya knucklehead!" a man yelled at a young boy who had suddenly stopped running towards the shore, while the hundreds of other people continued running. [The man wore long brown pants, black sandals and a black, long-sleeved, buttoned shirt. He wore a cap over his brown hair and looked 30-ish]. [The boy who stopped running was only 8 years old, had short (almost buzz-cut) silver-white hair, red shorts that reached his knees and a simple blue t-shirt. A pretty average looking young child, though he did have a rather goofy face].

The boy retorted back at the man "Shut up, Simmons! Ya can't tell me what to do! I ain't goin' anywhere 'till I find Ma!" the boy turned around and headed towards the town center, where his mother (apparently)was.

"That idiot! I hope he drowns!" Simmons gritted his teeth and just kept running with the other frightened townsfolk.

A random man turned around to see the young boy running back, "Hey kid! What the hell are you doing? The entire island is going to be submerged, you have to get to the ships at the dock now!" the man stopped running. "Kid! You're going the wrong way!"

"No! I have to find my ma! I'm not going nowhere without ma! Nowhere!" The kid said, not stopping to even look at the man. He ran into the town calling out for his mother.

The boy finally reached the town center most of which had already been abandoned by the people, he was also knee-deep in the rapidly flooding water. He began searching wildly for his missing mother by running through the wooden village. He walked around for what seemed to be hours, splashing through the flooding water in his village square. The boy suddenly began to feel hopeless and scared, for soon the water will recede back into the ocean and the tsunami would ensue. His despair began to take place. . . until eventually he heard a familiar voice:

"**_Daiko_**!"

The boy heard his mother call his name, and before he knew it, she was right behind him. Smiling, she ran up to him and hugged him tight. The boy's mother was very beautiful she had natural white, long hair and was around the age of 30, she was wearing a blue dress with a sash around her waist. This sash was black and had unusual red symbols and letters all over it, giving it a very mysterious appearance. On her arm was a rather large and stretched-out tattoo of a red lynx cat, it was roaring with it's jaws wide open and running with it's legs stretched backwards. She was a very beautiful women indeed, her eyes were a crimson red, and on the right side of her face was another tattoo of a lynx.

Relieved, Daiko (the young boy) started to smile happily as tears ran down his face,"Ma, where were you? I was getting scared..." Daiko smiled and sniffed as his nose ran.

Her smile soon faded and a look of seriousness emerged on her face as thunder cracked in the sky. "None of that matters right now, we have to get to the ships now! Why didn't you follow Simmons like I told you to?" Daiko's mother then quickly tied a mysterious black satchel to his back and around his torso. It seems the reason why she was separated from her son was to get this mysterious satchel.

"I don't wanna leave the island without you, Ma! Huh? What's this?" Daiko looked at the black satchel on his back.

"Just some things I managed to pick up quickly, now let's get out of here!" His mother grabbed him by the arm and they both began to run back towards the docks.

* * *

**Minutes Later:**

Once they had reached the docks, there were no more ships remaining. Through the heavy rain and deep fog, the pair noticed that all seven ships were already full at sea. All that could be seen were the swaying silhouettes of the seven rescue ships.

"Dammit!" Daiko's mother said. Daiko began to get scared, he had never heard her cuss before and knew they were in serious trouble.

"We can still make it, Ma! We just need to swim to the ships, the people already on will pull us up from there!" Daiko suggested, about to jump off from the docks. His mother pulled him back by his arm and slapped him across the head.

***WHACK!***

"Ow! What was that for?!" Daiko rubbed the back of his head.

"That's a stupid idea Daiko, the waves would swallow you up in an instant! This is why I told you to follow Simmons!" His mother began to get very frustrated and worried. "Where did that fool go, anyway?"

"Did someone call?" Simmons (The aforementioned man with the cap) appeared from behind Daiko's mother.

"I did, about two hours ago, you moron" Daiko's mother looked at Simmons with anger as her eyes twitched.

"Whoa, whoa calm down, Morgan. It's not my fault, Daiko just took off and left, I couldn't stop 'im." Simmons walked up to Daiko and Morgan (Daiko's mother).

"What are you still doing here Simmons? I thought you left!" Daiko questioned Simmons.

"I was going to... but then I realized I'd be leaving a beautiful young lady and her innocent little son on a hopeless island. What kind of man would do that, eh? See? I'm a reliable guy after all, aren't I? Hehehe." Simmons began to smile faintly.

Morgan angrily crossed her arms and rolled her eyes "Well thanks a lot Simmons, now there's three of us stuck on a 'hopeless little island'." Morgan sighed as the rescue ships began sail away , farther from view. "Really, thanks a lot..."

"Hey, don't fret! I came prepared, as usual. Just follow me. I'm gonna get you two outta this mess, then we'll all be happy." Simmons smiled again while adjusting his hat.

"Lead the way way..." Morgan said. Daiko and Morgan had no other choice but to follow Simmons along the shore. He led them both to a small docking house nearby and on the shore of the island. This building had large doors that led to the open sea for ships to go in and out of. The raining intensified as they entered building. Inside was a small wooden trade boat. The flood water on the island ominously receded back into the island, signaling that the wave was almost here.

"This will have to do I guess. Let's just get out of here now, this island isn't going to be here for much longer." Morgan and Daiko began to climb onto the small boat.

"Hey Simmons, are you sure this boat is strong enough to handle the waves? It looks pretty crappy to me." Daiko asked Simmons, who was opening the sea gate to the stormy sea.

"I can't promise you anything, kid. For now, it doesn't look like we have much of a choice." Simmons said as Morgan set the sails of the ship. The trio finally began to set sail, the wind was moving at high speeds, the water was rocking rapidly as the the small ship swayed back and forth. They were finally able to get off of the island and began sailing the steep waves. Morgan was navigating the ship with Simmons at wheel. Daiko held on to the mast in fear.

Things were looking up, as they were finally able to escape the island. **_However, They soon encountered a very powerful current that began to overpower the ship._**

Morgan noticed that the ship was steering off course "What the hell are you doing, Simmons? Hurry it up!" she yelled at Simmons while holding onto the side rails of the ship.

"Hey I'm trying! The ship is too damn weak! Oh man! Oh man!" Simmons tried desperately to hold the wheel in place. Daiko was holding on to the mast even tighter when he noticed an enormous wave of water heading right for them.

"M-Ma! Look!" Morgan and Simmons looked behind them to see the wave. Morgan immediately afterwards ran towards Daiko.

"Holy shit! Are you kidding me? Screw this, I'm out of here!" Simmons let go of the wheel and ran inside of the ship while Morgan, knowing that there was nothing left to do, ran over to a completely frozen Daiko and hugged him very tightly from behind. Simmons entered the small single-room of the ship and hid under a desk.

"Please forgive me, Daiko, I should've gotten you out of here faster..." Daiko's face was wet with tears, he was completely overcome with fear and was hardly paying attention to his mother words. The wave was about to obliterate their small ship.

Regardless of their impending doom, she continued to speak to her son, silently and softly telling him her last words"I know this may be hard for you, but... forget about me. Just go out and live your own dream, once you make out of this mess." she paused as a single tear ran down her right cheek, and she smiled.

"Listen very closely to me Daiko, this is important. I want you to leave the past behind you, no matter what happens, don't allow it to hinder the future. You may not understand why I'm saying this now... but it will come to you..." Tears ran down Morgan's face but she smiled as the wave came closer to the small, helpless ship.

Seconds before impact, Morgan uttered her very final words to Daiko."_Remember Daiko, darkness surrounds us. It will eventually come after you... But **have faith in the Power of Z**._"

* * *

Welcome to Gray Piece, I sure love doing this. Leave a comment, or not. I like your reviews but I'm not going to stop writing if I don't get any. Your reviews motivate me to write more often.

Also whenever I mention **Z **or anything of the like, know that it has **NOTHING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING** to do with Zephyr/Movie Z. You will find out later. Thanks for making this far, peace.


	2. Candles

**On an Unknown West Blue island**

* * *

Daiko woke up lightheaded, covered in bandages and clueless. He was in the middle of a jungle-like forest, on an island he had no clue about. Nearby was a campfire. He saw his black satchel resting on a tree and was immediately reminded of his mother. In the distance, he could still hear the ocean waves. It was a very bright sunny day, the sky was as blue as ever and had many white clouds. Needless to say, the storm has cleared and the seas were calming. Everything was returning to normal in the West Blue. Well, aside from the fact that Daiko has been separated from his mother and is lost by himself in the middle of a forest.

So the first thing he did was what any normal 8-year-old would do: look for mommy "Ma! Where are you? Don't tell me you left again! Maaa! MAAAA!" Daiko stood up, grabbed his satchel and began searching.

He then remembered Simmons also"Simmons! Ma! Where the heck did they go? I'm hungry!" His stomach growled as he repeatedly turned his head left and right.

Daiko stopped in his tracks when he heard rustling in a tree branch right above him. Daiko was surprised to see Simmons drop down from the tree branch. It seems Simmons had climbed the tree in order to find out where there were, scouting the sea from the tip of tree.

He was semi-relieved when he saw the raggedy looking man appear before him, but he was still concerned about the whereabouts of his mother "Simmons! What happened? Where are we? Where is Ma?" Daiko kept shooting questions at Simmons. Simmons was barefoot with his clothes tattered and torn. The shadow of his dark brown cap covering his eyes.

"Slow down, kid. I need to tell you something, and I want to be direct with it, no games." Simmons began to look at Daiko with a dark look resting on his face. The poor man looked exhausted, clearly, he hadn't slept in days. It was apparent that something had been bothering him, preventing him from getting rest. Despite his happy-go-lucky personality, something has been keeping him down.

"Wha? What are you talking about?" Daiko began to get nervous.

"Morgan, sh-she. . . passed away." Simmons looked to the ground. While Daiko froze.

"After the wave hit us the ship was completely crushed and we were deep under water. I only had enough time to save yo-" Simmons was interrupted by a swift jump- punch from Daiko to the face. Simmons fell back

"Stop lying to me, asshole! My Ma would never die like that!" Daiko yelled.

Simmons leaned up and rubbed his cheek even though the punch was nothing to him. "Look kid, I know you might a little too young to be hearing this, and I'm honestly sorry, but I assure you it's the truth. Take a look at this." Simmons pulled out the black sash the Morgan wore. The sash had many strange symbols on it that were unreadable. "I don't competely know what it is, but she told me to pass it down to you in case anything happened to her. Don't go thinking that you're the only one who's upset, she was a friend of mine too." Simmons stood up.

Daiko began to weep "Sh-shut up! I don't believe you! A-and she was my ma!" Simmons said nothing as tears ran down Daiko's face.

He walked up to Daiko and put his hand on his shoulder as he tried to calm him. "Just think about it kid, your mom would be happy that you're alive. That storm was one of the worst in West Blue history, and we were in the thick of it! Surely we should be thankf-" Daiko slapped Simmons' hand away, snatched his mother's mysterious sash from him and ran away.

"H-hey, wait!" Simmons couldn't stop Daiko.

Daiko ran until he was sure that he was far from Simmons. He sat by a tree rubbing his tears with his forearm. He sat there for about an hour, constantly rubbing his tears away. He then soon realized how hungry he was as his stomach growled, he literally hadn't eaten in days. While still devastated, Daiko managed to muster up a little strength. He opened the black satchel that his mother gave him and saw [a very strange looking pair of sandals that were too big for him, and a large, shiny silver colored fruit with swirl patterns all over. These open-toed sandals were light-brown and had leather buckle straps meant to be wrapped around the foreleg and up to the knee.(Similar to those of the ancient Romans)]

Daiko was confused, his mother left him three strange items: her strange sash, a weird pair of sandals and an even weirder fruit. Daiko sniffled and took out the fruit, he held it in front of his face and studied it closely, slowly rotating it in his hand. He wiped away some tears as he thought to himself "_What.. is this? Wow, it smells so bad. I-I don't think I should eat this..._". He took out the fruit and threw it aside on the grassy forest floor.

At the same time, A young looking man that appeared to be in his twenties passed by and raised an eye-brow as he noticed the silver fruit roll on the ground from behind the tree. He walked pass the tree to see where it came from and noticed young Daiko crying in his own lap. The man sighed, rolled his eyes and sat next to an unaware Daiko.

"Hey, you alright?" the man asked. [He had brown, spiky hair that reached to his neck. He wore a simple orange shirt with black jeans sucked in black all of this, he wore a brown cloak which he used to carry all sorts of junk (cigarettes, alcohol, etc). He had a "X" shaped scar on his cheek. He pulled out a bottle of wine from his pocket and drank. His most distinguishing feature? Probably his hat, it was a rather large top hat with a lit candle coming out of the top. No, I'm not kidding, this guy has a lit candle right on top of his hat.]

Daiko's jaw dropped as soon as he noticed the man sit next him. "Hey! Who the hell are you?" he quickly wiped up his tears and stood up while glaring at the man who had just sat net to him.

The man raised an eyebrow "Hey, aren't you a little young to be saying stuff like that? Well anyway, you can just call me Stabbs, and you?" The man took another drink.

"Daiko. But what do you want with me? I'm not in the mood right now...go away." Daiko looked at Stabbs,

"Nothing much, was just wondering why you were crying, thought maybe I could help." Stabbs said.

"I wasn't crying, bastard!" Daiko lied through his teeth as Stabbs broke out in laughter "...and now you're laughing at me!" Daiko got even angrier at Stabbs.

"Alright fine, I'll stop. Just tell me what happened to you. I don't think I could call myself a man if I walked passed a kid in need." Stabbs pleaded.

"Alright, fine"

**Daiko told Stabbs his story, much to his amazement.**

Stabbs added "Yeah, I heard about that storm, people say not even the best navigators could predict it. A complete anomaly. And that part about your mom, damn, I'm sorry I laughed at you." he spoke with obvious remorse in his tone, he just laughed at an 8 year-old kid who is now an orphan.

"It doesn't matter. People laugh at me all the time, but I don't care!." Daiko said loudly.

Stabbs stood up, brushing his cloak off as he got to his feet.

"Right. Anyway, here, how about I make it up to you, you can live at my place for a while." Daiko looked at Stabb.

"R-r-really? " Daiko asked.

"Really. Seriously, it's the least I can do after I laughed at you. And again, I'm a man, so I help those in need. " Stabbs said, looking down at the parent-less child.

"Thanks! But... where do you live? Is it on another island?" Daiko asked while looking around, to him, this island was filled with nothing but forest.

Stabbs took a drink of his wine while Daiko asked the question " ***glug*glug* **At the village, where else?" Stabbs said with a confident tone.

Daiko's jaw dropped. "Theres a village here! Where?" He looked left and right again.

Stabbs smiled "You really didn't know, huh? Just follow me, I'll lead you there."

As Daiko began to follow behind Stabbs, he looked back and noticed the smelly fruit that he threw away, he picked it up again and put in his satchel after remembering that his mother gave it to him. He gave it a second thought, while it didn't have an attractive quality to it, he remembered that it was one of the few things that his late mother left him with. He went back and picked it up, quickly stuffing it back into his satchel. He didn't feel good throwing it away. Sure, it was a smelly fruit, but it was also a memento of his mother.

Stabbs raised an eyebrow as he noticed Daiko lacking behind "Hey will you hurry it up, kid? What are you doing back there?" Stabbs turned around to face him as he took another drink.

"Nothing! Let's go!" Daiko ran up beside Stabbs. They both walked on a nearby dirt road until they reached a large coastal village. It was an average West Blue village with wooden docks, many boats and buildings all over. This village was located inside of a basin(geographical depression), that is connected to the sea, in short, it is surrounded by higher land on all sides except for the side connected to the sea.

"Whoa, this place is huge! How did I not notice it before?" Daiko looked around.

"This island is called Parratry Town. It's nothing special really, just follow me, we're almost there." Stabbs and Daiko walked past many trade stalls and countless people. Daiko was beginning to wonder how he missed such a lively town. He was also wondering about Simmons and actually felt kind of guilty for how he treated him, but as an 8-year-old he didn't really worry about it too much, Simmons will probably eventually find this village.

The sky was bright blue and a rainbow leaned over the village. They walked until they reached a small tavern known as 'Candle Light Tavern', inside were around twenty men. Stabbs entered and Daiko followed in suit. Inside the men were having a small beer party, many of them raised there drinks and greeted Stabbs with respect. This tavern was distinctive because of the disproportionate amount of candles that were littered everywhere, whether they were hanging from the ceiling on lamps, on the floor, or on the tables, there were candles everywhere.

"Captain Stabbs welcome back, mate!" one drunk man said.

"H-hey! Captain Stabbs, its about time you showed up, we've been having ourselves a lil' fiesta, here come join us! " Another said.

Stabbs closed his eyes as he chuckled "Heh sorry guys, not today. I kinda got a job to do..." the men nodded and went on about their party. It was pretty clear that Stabbs knows these men somehow.

Daiko looked up to Stabbs and tugged on his pants to gain his attention "Huh? You're a captain, Stabbs? Captain of what, the Marines? And what are we doing here! I thought we were going to your place!" Stabbs looked at Daiko and chuckled a little more.

"Yes, I'm a captain, but lets put that aside for now. And this _is_ my place, Daiko. So grab a seat." Daiko frowned as he and Stabbs sat at one of the empty two-seater tables.

Daiko crossed his arms "I hate this place Stabbs! Why does there have to be so many candles!"

Stabbs smiled "Well, there's actually a reason for that. I'll tell ya later, alright?"

"Ughh! Whatever! What are we doing here? I'm so hungry!" Daiko's stomach growled again.

"Don't worry you'll get something to eat, I promise. I'll order it now..." Stabbs looked at a frowning Daiko, who was rummaging through his satchel. Frustrated and impatient, Daiko pulled out his mysterious fruit and immediately started eating into it, completely ignoring the terrible smell and taste. Stabbs looked at the fruit immediately noticing what it was. His jaw dropped, speechless at what he was witnessing. As Daiko sank his teeth into the fruit, bits of it flew around everywhere. An odd fruit indeed, the inside of this fruit was completely black and had a strange sheen to it. Daiko finally finished eating the fruit, sticking his tongue out and spitting in disgust.

"Aaaagh! That was so nasty! And I'm still so hungry, I wish my ma was here." Daiko became slightly depressed again, remembering his mother's fate, the sadness hit him like a wave(ZING!). Stabbs was still speechless, pointing at Daiko with his jaw still dropped and eyes wide open.

"What's wrong Stabbs? You wanted it?" Daiko asked while looking at Stabbs.

"D-do you have any idea what you just ate? How the hell did you get that?" Stabbs asked Daiko, who was very confused.

* * *

I really appreciate anyone who has made it this far, I understand it's getting to a slow start, but patience is a virtue. Thanks


	3. Loose Ends

**WEST BLUE: On Parratry Island**

* * *

**[Inside of a candle-littered bar known as 'Candle Light Tavern', our clumsy Daiko has just finished eating a very odd fruit, Stabbs is shocked and is currently questioning him. What could this fruit be? I mean, there's no way you guys could possibly guess what it is. I'm sure every single person reading this is drowned in confusion of why this fruit is so special.]**

"What? That fruit? I think it was a pineapple or something. My Ma gave it to me. But trust me, it was bad. You wouldn't want to eat it." Daiko rubbed his stomach.

"Pineapples aren't gray you moron!" Stabbs stood up and walked towards Daiko. He could already smell Daiko's breath and confirmed that Daiko had just eaten a Devil Fruit.

"What's the problem, will you tell me already?" Daiko grew even more puzzled.

"Wow... Look Daiko, this is important. You have to tell me exactly how you got that fruit. I'm not interested in the money or anything, but I'm just wondering how you could have got such a thing..." Stabbs became very serious.

"Money? What are you talking about?! And.. I-I-I already told you! My Ma gave it to me!" Daiko repeated.

"Do you know what a Devil Fruit is? 'Cause I think you just ate one." Stabbs sat back.

"What? What's a Devil Fruit? Is it bad? Sounds bad." Daiko started to get nervous again.

"_Is this kid insane? First he survives one of the deadliest storms in the West Blue, then he eats a Devil Fruit for lunch without knowing it. Who the hell did I just run into?_". Stabbs thought as he began to relax again

"A Devil Fruit is an incarnation of the Sea Devil. When you eat one you gain some sort of ability... but you're unable to swim." Stabbs was still surprised.

"This is a joke, right? How could my Ma have gotten something like that?" Daiko fastened his satchel to his back.

"No, I'm dead serious, I've seen alot of Devil Fruits in my time. And I'm not the kinda guy to lie." Stabbs sat back down next to Daiko, who was still clueless.

"So I really just got a power? Sweet, I wonder what it is! How do I use it?" Daiko jumped off of his chair and started waving his arms around.

"Daiko, this isn't something to take lightly..." Stabbs said with a deep tone.

Daiko frowned as he looked up to Stabbs "Well, what do you want me to do?! I didn't know!"

_"This kid is a hopeless idiot, and my crewmates here are starting to stare. I guess we should leave_.._. I have to set an example for these clowns, atleast until we set sail_." Stabbs thought as the other men in the bar stared at him and Daiko.

After Stabbs began to recollect himself, he eventually bought Daiko his long-awaited meal from the bar, multiple courses of ham and chicken. Stabbs then saw his crewmates off and decided to finally leave the tavern and go home with Daiko. They soon leave the bar and left the main part of the village. It was getting late and the They followed a small uphill trail until they reached Stabbs' home. It was a small and raggedy shack-looking house on a small mountain in the outskirts of Parratry village. Despite it's run down appearance, it had a full view of the entire town, as well as the expansive blue sea beyond it. Stabbs walked inside first, opening the creaky wooden door into a dark and murky looking home. The sun was beginning to set.

Daiko looked around "This is really your home? No wonder we went to that stupid bar first, this is the crappiest looking place I've ever seen!" Daiko walked inside after Stabbs.

Stabbs lit a candle lantern to illuminate his dark home. "Ha, you're hilarious, kid. But hey, look on the bright side, we have a complete view of the entire village!"

It was night-time and Stabbs was looking out of the only window in the shack. "...And besides, this place is only temporary, I'm leaving the West blue soon after all, take a seat." Stabbs sat down on the floor.

"What? Why would you do that?" Daiko said while putting his satchel on the floor. "Well, I'm a pirate, why not?" Stabbs popped the cork off of the fresh wine that he bought from the tavern.

"Huh? You are? Why didn't you tell me before, and don't say I didn't ask!" Daiko exclaimed.

"Well you didn't. Besides, what difference does it make? I'm just a man following his dreams after all. Just... a man.". Stabbs yawned as Daiko sat down against the wall opposite of Stabbs in the small cramped shack.

Daiko remembered the last words from his mother as Stabbs spoke "But why would you want to be a pirate anyway? I heard stories... tha the last two pirate kings were killed by the Government."

Stabbs took one last drink from his wine bottle "Pfft, like I care about that. And Isn't it obvious? Pirates have the most freedom in all the seas! I couldn't think of a more fitting decision!" Stabbs smiled and put his wine bottle away.

Daiko, still at a loss of what to do after losing his mother, was suddenly inspired by what Stabbs told him. "Whoa! That sounds so awesome, do you have a crew? Or a ship? Are you the captain? Or a -"

"Hey slow down kid. Yeah, I'm the captain of the Candle Pirates. Those guys you saw at the bar are my crew mates, and my ship is being built by them as we speak." Daiko abruptly stood up, completely inspired. Suddenly, Daiko yearned for ultimate freedom, and adventure.

"That's so cool! Can I join you guys?" He ran towards Stabbs smiling.

Stabbs chuckled "Hell no! Someone as weak as you wouldn't last a second where I'm headed, you'd better just stay here and get a job as a longshoreman. Err... something like that." Stabbs laughed

"C'mon I can train and get stronger. and like you said, I have that Monster Fruit power now!" Daiko yelled.

"Devil Fruit Power, and besides, you can't swim anymore so what if we were to get wrecked, you'd die in an instant!" Stabbs sighed.

"Whatever! I'm _**Daiko Z. Fendo**_, I don't need to know how to swim, and with me around, we'll never get shipwrecked!" Daiko had his thumb pointing at his chest, now full of himself.

"Whoa, what's with this change of attitude? I thought you were the snot-nosed kid I found crying in the middle of the forest!" Stabbs started to laugh again.

"Hey, shut up! That was because I didn't know what to do! But now that I do know, I'm never gonna do that again. I'm gonna be the pirate king for sure! Even if I have to make my own crew. I've heard tales of the pirate kings before... they're the real deal!". Stabbs stopped laughing and looked up at Daiko.

"Oh really? You really think you have what it takes?" Stabbs smiled, it wasn't his intention to inspire Daiko, but he sure did feel good about helping him recover from the loss of his mother. In just a few hours, he's transformed this depressed kid into an outgoing dreamer.

**Unexpectedly, The front (and only) door of the house suddenly burst open with a ragged Simmons at the door, panting.**

"What the. . .? Simmons? What are you doing here?" Both Daiko and Stabbs looked at Simmons who gently closed the door behind him.

"So this is that Simmons guy you were talking about, huh? What do you want?" Stabbs questioned Simmons. Simmons sat down with his back against on the shut door, looking at the ground.

"Look, sorry for busting into your house and all but I have to tie up some loose ends." Stabbs said.

"How did you find us anyway? Simmons!" Daiko started.

"I got here by asking around. I asked some of the guys at the bar if they had seen you. And the main reason I came here was to apologize to you, Daiko. You know, about your mom and all." Simmons started to burst into tears "I tried to save her but I was to much of a coward, I wasn't able to reach her in time..." Simmons fell to his knees and bowed down to Daiko "It sucks! You're still a kid, you're too young to lose your mother! I'm just... sorry..."

"Wow, your friend is really a wuss, Daiko." Simmons wanted to respond but held it in so he could make a request to Stabbs.

Simmons then raised his head again and wiped some of his tears away"I have something else to say too! Captain Stabbs of the Candle Pirates! I want to join your crew!" Still crying, Simmons bowed before Stabbs, who was staring at him blankly.

"And why would you want to do that?" Stabbs asked.

"I know this is out of nowhere, but I really want to sail with you. My home is under water, I have nowhere to go. I've heard about your crew... a brand new West Blue pirate crew. I want to start over... fresh in the next pirate age!" Simmons sucked up his tears and stood up.

"I don't completely know who you are yet, but you seem like a pretty good guy... and I really respect you for being honest and apologizing to this kid." Stabbs smiled and turned his head to Daiko "No hard feelings kid,right?"

"Pfft, I don't care, I'd rather get my own crew anyway! Oh yeah and Simmons. Its okay, I already know it wasn't your fault. Ma said I should leave these things in past..." Daiko suddenly looked down, in thought of his mother "Those... were Ma's last word... forget about the past... I wouldn't like it if I couldn't follow her word." he was just now remembering the last words his mother told him, it seemed that meeting Simmons once again revived the memory.

Simmons smiled "That's good to hear, I hope we're cool now."

Stabbs smiled "That's a pretty mature thing for an eight-year-old to say, I'm shocked."

Daiko rubbed the back of his head and smiled proudly "Ha, you think? I'm just excited because I've just about made up my mind..."

Things were looking up, Daiko was finally recovering from the loss of his mother. Simmons was able to tie up loose ends with him also.

_**However:**_

**As Daiko smiled, both Stabbs and Simmons noticed his teeth immediately changed from white to a dark gray color.**

Both Stabbs and Simmons fell back in shock. Simmons was the most surprised "D-D-Daiko! Your teeth! What the hell just happened to your teeth!?"

Daiko raised an eyebrow "What? What are you talking about? I don't feel anything!" Daiko rubbed is teeth. "Guys, you're scaring me! Cut it out!"

Stabbs relaxed and was no longer shocked "So the affects are finally kicking in, huh?"

Simmons ran up to Stabbs and grabbed him by the collar "What the hell are you talking about 'affects'? You better not tell me that you drugged this kid, you better-!"

Stabbs pushed Simmons away with ease, he was clearly stronger "Relax Simmons, I didn't do anything of the sort."

Simmons grew serious "If you didn't do anything to him then what's happening to him?! And how do you know?!"

Both of Daiko's arms fell to his sides as if they were paralyzed. His expression of shock soon turned to a very black, dull expressiob. He then became motionless, like a ragdoll, and suddenly fell flat on the wooden floor of Stabbs' house and was completely still. Strangely, when Daiko fell to the floor, the wooden floor cracked beneath him, as if Daiko weighed much more.

Simmons ran up to Daiko "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO HIM?!"

Stabbs spoke "When I met this kid, I took him into town and witnessed him eating a Devil Fruit, the affects of that Devil Fruit must be kicking in now. " Stabbs watched with curiosity.

Simmons' eyes shot open "DEVIL FRUIT?! Where could he have gotten..." Simmons suddenly came with a conclusion "Morgan, It must have been Morgan who did this!"

"Morgan?" Stabbs asked.

"She's Daiko's mother." Stabbs answered "She's always been a little weird and distant ever since I met her. She was definitely hiding something from everyone, strange girl. Always quiet."

Simmons nodded "Whatever the case, it looks like she's left her son with a Devil Fruit. Daiko, how are you feeling?" Stabbs took another drink from his wine, it obviously is not a big deal to him.

Daiko's face was planted straight in the floor, but he struggled to turn his head so that he could speak. Daiko barely managed to talk "I feel so... heavy, can't move my arms... I'm scared, help me!"

Stabbs closed his eyes and spoke calmly "I'm not going to help you, Daiko."

Simmons, who is still kneeling beside Daiko looked back at Stabbs with a angry look "What are you talking about? He's just a kid, we have to help 'im!"

Stabbs looked at Daiko, who was still struggling to even move his arm "Look Daiko, you want to become a pirate, correct?"

Daiko responded "Y-yes..."

Stabbs continued "The life of a pirate is filled with many obstacles, whether it be marines, other pirates or even the sea itself, as a Pirate, you'll never be able to guess what'll come around the corner. A pirate has to make sacrifices, suffer losses, face many challenges that seem impossible. A pirate must be able to face hardships, mental or physical... most importantly, as a pirate, you can't allow the past to weigh you down.(ZING!)"

Simmons grew impatient as Stabbs went on with is speech "Are you going to shut up or are we going to help this kid?"

Stabbs sighed "This kid has had enough 'help' in his life. When I first met him, he was in an emotional wreck in the forest. If he wants to move on and become stronger, he has to face this by himself. Believe me, this is better for him..." Simmons sighed.

Stabbs concluded "Daiko Z. Fendo, that's your full name, right? Do you want to be a pirate?"

Daiko barely responded "I want to be the best, freest, pirate in the entire world... I don't even completely know why, but I want it..."

Stabbs smiled and closed his eyes "So you want to be the Pirate king then huh? Let this be your first challenge then, Daiko Z Fendo! Your Devil Fruit seems to have somehow made your body weight much higher and you can't move anymore! What exactly are you going to do about it?"

Simmons looked back and forth at Daiko and Stabbs and watched curiously "Yeah! You can do it Daiko, c'mon! Get up!" Simmons exclaimed.

(Still faced down) Daiko gritted his discolored teeth and managed to lift his right arm. He then slammed his fist into the wooden floor to support him as he slowly struggled to his feet. Once back on his feet, Daiko's silvery white hair over shadowed his eyes, the only thing that could be seen on his face was his wide, gray smile for he had overcame the first obstacle to becoming a true pirate. Though his legs were still shaking uncontrollably, he had finally completed his first step towered his new found dreams.

Daiko then took a deep breath, clenched both his fists and yelled in an unusually loud voice that could be heard throughout the entire village:

"**_I'M GONNA- I'M GONNA BE PIRATE KIIIING_!**"

The very ocean surrounding the village vibrated and rippled as Daiko yelled. Stabbs and Simmons covered their ears but smiled as Daiko had now become a much stronger person. His pre-pubescent voice echoed throughout the village, its appears this is yet another affect of his new devil fruit.

_Eventually, Daiko re-befriended Simmons, who soon joined the Candle Pirates. Ever since that day, Daiko has been training endlessly in Parratry Town (and getting into trouble as he usually does) with his newfound Devil Fruit ability. He made many friends, both in and out of Stabbs' crew. _

_The Candle Pirates pirates waited patiently for a full five years for the next Pirate Age to start, following Monkey D. Luffy's** "execution"**, which happened 8 years ago("Coincidentally" right when Daiko was born, teehee). When Stabbs, Simmons, and the rest of the Candle Pirates departed, a thirteen year old Daiko stayed behind, still training in preparation for his own departur_e.

_The pain from the past remained, but it was not enough to weigh our new pirate, Daiko, down. Strength has become the product of struggle. With his trauma behind him, the only thing that was on his mind now was the vast sea, a huge world of adventure and excitement... freedom. And the life of a pirate, a life of travel and camaraderie were more than enough to compensate for such a dark past. _

Welcome to Gray Piece

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Slow start, sorry. But if you've actually made it this far, thank you very much. Also, sorry for late post, won't happen again, I love you guys.


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